A friend called and asked if I was interested in some cuttings off a fig tree he was removing to make room for a deck.  Unfortunately the tree was being removed last week-end with the tree fully leafed out and most of the branches in a green and semi-hardwood state.  I planted the green tip cuttings already using procedures that have been previously posted.  The remaining branches were primarily in a semi-hardwood state.  I cut them into 1' pieces and currently have them in the refrigerator. 

My question (finally) is I'm not sure how well semi-hardwood cuttings keep in the refrigerator so am I better off starting the cuttings now or keep them in the fridge until February when I typically start my cuttings.  My big concern with starting them now is the potentially winter long battle with gnats.

I would think you would be fine storing them in the fridge provided they are stored properly.  I have had good luck with the following:
- rinse in water to remove any dirt or debris
- soak in 10% bleach at room temp for about 20 seconds
- allow to dry completely (residual bleach will be left behind on the surface of the cuttings)
- encase each individual cutting in plastic wrap; if needed use tape around the plastic wrap to keep it tightly on the cutting
- place cuttings into a 1 gallon ziplock bag and store in fridge

Later when I want to root the cuttings I rinse under a stream of tap water to remove the residual bleach.

Hi lifigs,
Did you manage to get your hands on some root-sucker or rooted material ?
For the cuttings, remove every leaf and fig. 1 and 2 years old branches are the most interesting IMO.
I don't know in which USDA zone you are, but if you're in zone7 or above, I would put some outside in the dirt, or in an hole where you replaced
the dirt with compost from the nurseries and let them root the old way.

Thanks for the inputs.  I put a few cuttings directly in deep cell packs with HP Pro-Mix and placed them in a storage container with bottom heating.  The majority of the cuttings will stay in zip lock in the fridge till the winter.  I did rinse them in a 10% bleach solution.  I may also bury a few outside now and see what happens to them by spring.

For long term storage in the fridge has anyone tried those "space saving bags" that you hook up to a vacuum to suck out the excess air.  Harbor Freight has a 3 pack for $6 that I try.

long term the best thing is wax or shrink wrap then a ziplock. they have enough moisture in the wood so you don't need to add any moisture. shrink wrap is also great for shipping cuttings. Another good way to insure the cuttings survive is to share them with friends wink wink :)

The semi-hardened wood will give you issues if they're very pliable.  During the rooting phase, it may soften and rot.  This is just from my experience.  Your cuttings may be hardened off more than mine were, but if you have plenty to mess with, give it a shot.

Bill, if the tree was being removed, then growth from this spring, let's say May/June should have been among what was being removed.  That growth should be plenty hard enough to survive the winter in your fridge.  If you just cut the tips off, then yes, you might have some issues, but if you cut stuff close to the ground, you should be fine. 

Also, like someone else said, if it was being completely removed, if you could get a chunk of the roots with a branch/trunk attached, you could just put that in a pot and keep it in your garage for the winter and next spring you'd be good to go. 

You will only get gnats if they are introduced somehow, often from the potting mix.  If you use a good potting mix you shouldn't have any problems.  Maybe root 1 or 2 now to increase your odds? 

Is this variety worth keeping in the first place?  Do you know what it is?  Why not just start fresh with the varieties you want.  Unless you could get the whole rootball with some trunk attached, that would give you a headstart on things.